I have started another piece....my embroidered paper pile is growing, not rapidly but growing all the same.
Tiny pompoms are featuring at the moment on here but there is a piped edge in progress, just basted for now, the embellishmnet will happen later today fingers crossed.
Are you ready for a baby update?
Stanley and Sonny met for the first time on Monday.
Be still my heart.
You have seen the edging of this piece many times but it's changing, being altered, something we are working on in embroidery school.
It now lays along the edge of a silk panel which is being embellished with piping cord inserts. It looks very sculptural in these images, sleeve like.....it's not going to be a sleeve however. I won't tell you what it's going to be, I will keep you guessing for now.
Meanwhile....I have around 80 more bullion loops to add to this in order to secure each strip of piping cord. I best crack on.
(if you are registered for my new class, 'ledgers, a record of stitch' you should have received an email from me today. If you haven't received that can you please let me know.)
When you saw this two days ago these were separate pieces.....I couldn't help myself, I had to join them. Piping cord, patterned cloth and hey presto. Joining these has made me anxious to make faster progress with this. It was my intention to create one more surface to take away with me when I go on holiday and embellish as and when I was relaxing as opposed to doing ''touristy'' holiday stuff. Now I want to make another surface and concentrate on that seam before I go away by joining it to these two and then embellish the surface when I am away. That will mean taking a much larger piece away with me as opposed to one small section. I like that idea. I like the thought of having a more substantial piece of this to handle and even if I do minimal embroidery on the surface it will be a pleasure just to look at it every day as opposed to suffering embroidery, cloth and sewing withdrawals which is what usually happens when I am away from home.
Yesterday, a video about a swatch. Today, a video about another swatch....it's specifically the edges, the progress of swatches, the plans for taking swatches forward. The first video is new, about the piece in the images today. The second video is from yesterday in case you missed it.
We are just about to begin our 4 th week of the 8 week class ''artist books'' online learning. Normally I like a week or so break in between classes however this year I am going on holiday on June 21 for two weeks, meaning I have a one week break and two weeks holiday before my window for a new class. The only problem with that is.....I won't be here to sell the class in the 2 weeks preceding any start date.
For that reason I have decided the best thing to do is begin my next class in the final week of ''artist books'' which is the week beginning June 5 th. That is only 3 weeks away but it does mean I can motivate, inspire and galvanise the group for two weeks before I trot off on my holiday whilst the group either has a break or continues with embroidery related things for class.
The class information is not yet fully written. I will have that ready later this week.
The double cord on silk with lemon bullion loops securing, that has been made for an edge. Trouble is I can't decide which edge. I initially created it for the piece with the folded hankie, now I'm not sure. It doesn't matter, I don't have to attach it yet, I can think, consider and change my mind every five minutes for a few days. I will just create another edge and they can fight it out between them.
I quite like a puzzle, a little pile of pieces that would all live easily with each other when I decide to make up my mind.
I was so tempted to bead this corded piece, to bling it up with sequins and shiny things but I restrained myself. I don't want to be known as the boring stitcher who has no other skill aside from bling. The bullion loops are enough, I like it, it's understated however be warned.....I may have to channel my inner bling on the next one.
This piece of work hasn't been touched for almost a week. I rectify that today, adding piping cord and embellishing it with bullion knots. This piece won't form part of my 'sample portfolio'. It is too big and I really don't want to cut it down. Instead it may be used to form part of a larger cloth as I mention in the video.
There haven't been any decisions made yet about the queries from yesterday.....I'm just leaving my mind empty of that, continuing to create little compositions, hoping the light bulb moment will arrive without any help from me.
You last saw this one here four days ago. Not a lot of work for four days you might think but I've been doing other stuff too....honest....
Four days ago this had a single, solitary bumpy bit. Now it has three rather large bumpy bits and five tiny ones along with stems, French knots and bullion knots. There will be more tiny bumpy bits, white ones, applied to the patterned cloth here before I begin a titivation marathon for the other areas. It's all planned out in my head, all that's needed now is an ironing board, an iron, some scissors, thread, cloth and sewing needles.....
A new pocket taking shape, the early stages. So far it has three oversize prairie points, one bumpy bit and a strip of piping cord. The three fabrics pieced together here compliment each other I think although the very open pattern on some of the Broderie Anglaise might present a challenge further down the line in terms of embellishment. I may add applique on the surface of that area...or perhaps create a few buttons to decorate that section....or Suffolk puffs......who knows.
I started this one ages ago...and I mean ages. It didn't look like this when you saw it though, it had white cloth at either side of the piping. Yesterday I changed that to new cloth, the lilac and some of the green I already had. There are three prairie points which refuse to lie down but that's O.K.....unruly points, I like a little bit of rebellion. I'm thinking it will become a pocket like one of these, or these. That's why I pinned it here, to see how that might work....
Once I drag myself away from this PC I am going to spend an hour or so on my little books, make progress, but before I go don't forget the new class.....not long now and oh yes, I couldn't resist creating a mosaic of today's images, they are so cheery.
What's happening in embroidery school? Pockets....and ledgers....puffy things, oh and a lot of gimp which is fast becoming my new obsession. I resisted the urge to use gimp in this embroidered piece, piping cord won the debate. It was hard, I struggled to ignore the gimp but think it was the right decision.
The loops which secure the piping cord are stitched using my new, coloured coton a broder (25) It's quite a fine thread, beautiful to embroider with. I am sure I will be using it a lot more.
My tatting needles are still in transit. I am anxious for those to arrive as I can't wait to try it. Let's hope I'm not useless at it. This will hopefully be receiving a little more attention this week too. Watch this space.